News and Current Affairs Posts

Duluth on Boing Boing

Hooray! Duluth got a shout-out on Boing Boing today.

Boo! It was because of the ball-slasher guy.

Sex Trafficking in Duluth

This post originally contained a video from WCCO-TV that is no longer available.

Tarryl Clark Moving to Duluth to Take on Cravaack

I had been wanting to see if we could have a somewhat level-headed informed and nuanced discussion on the challenger pool for Chip Cravaack in MN 8th Congressional District. I figured I’d wait until after the homegrown fog burned off to post anything, but this morning the Duluth News Tribune has a bombshell from John Lundy saying Tarryl Clark is running for the seat. Was that a bombshell for anyone else besides me?

Before I knew about Clark’s bid, I wanted to talk about other un-announced candidates. In addition to Daniel Fanning and Jeff Anderson who appear to be in Pawlenty mode, that is, campaigning-but-not-campaigning not officially in other words. Here are the people who are not campaigning but that I think might make the race interesting: Tom Rukavina, Tom Bakk and Don Ness (Donny says he doesn’t want the job and that is fine with me, I’d like to keep him as mayor for a term or 3 more). The DNT identifies a few other candidates in the article that I did not know were considering a run, including Yvonne Prettner Solon, but most of them I don’t know so I can’t comment (but you can).

So we’ve already got a half dozen “local” candidates mulling a run and then Clark rolls in from St. Cloud and changes the entire chemistry of the race. Or does she? Banter away PDDers but please save the frothy mouthed passion for the Troll Zone thread. I’m looking for thoughts and analysis here, not bile. Thanks.

Update: I discovered that MN Brown Iron Range writer/college instructor Aaron Brown, already wrote about this a couple of months ago, including the possible Clark bid.

Also, I forgot to add Karen Diver, Chairwoman and CEO of the Fond du Lac Band to my potential candidates list. She has a great deal to recommend herself for the position and to me, she’s actually the most interesting potential candidate, although I have no idea if she or anyone else besides Tarryl Clark is actually gonna run.

Update 6/14/11

“I filed today my paperwork to seek the office of the presidency of the United States today and I very soon will be making my formal announcement.”

Michele Bachmann last night on CNN one of her classic headline stealing moves that has to have Tim Pawlenty’s stomach all tied up in knots today. But this means that Bachmann can not run for her 6th District seat and president at the same time.

So Today MinnPost is asking the same thing I want to know: Does this mean Tarryl Clark will give up her bid for the 8th District so she can run for an open seat in the 6th? She recieved 38% of the vote there vs. Bachmann’s 52% in 2010 according to those geniuses at wikipedia

Northeastern Minnesota Book Awards

May 19–Winners of the 23rd annual Northeastern Minnesota Books Awards (NEMBA) will be announced in an evening celebration on Thursday, May 19, in UMD’s Kirby Ballroom. The free community event will kick off at 5 p.m. with a book fair and dessert reception. Barton Sutter, Duluth’s first poet laureate, will emcee the formal program beginning at 6:30, featuring best-selling children’s author Mary Casanova as guest speaker. Book fair continues until 9 p.m. Free.

More info: http://www.d.umn.edu/lib/nemba/index.htm.

Mary Casanova, a best-selling children's author, will keynote the NEMBA program

Once bitten, ship escapes Duluth pirates at dawn.

The BBC Orinoco slipped out of Duluth this morning at first light. Was the Ukrainian/Filipino crew concerned about ANOTHER pirate attack? Turns out the same boat and crew were attacked just six months ago on the Arabian Sea.

Lots more details here.

Paging Johnny Depp.

Homegrown Banners

It’s that time of year again, the time when we magically change the secret folder that makes random silly pictures appear at the top of the PDD page. We’re looking for your Homegrown photos! So follow the same guidelines for submitting photos, but send us Homegrown-related images. You know, people drinking beer, playing rawknroll, hanging out, scans of your long-form birth certificate, and so on. We’ll rotate homegrown images during next week’s festivities.

Northeast Minnesota Sulfide Mining Conference

Call for Photos – Homegrown Photo Show

For those of you who have been waiting and wondering… will there be a Homegrown Photo Show (it was inadvertently left out of the schedule)…

The answer is YES.

Is this you? Then we want you on film!

I am making a mini-documentary about people who live in the Twin Ports but do not drive a car. The goal of this project is to tell the people’s story about the other side of transportation. If you rely on walking, bicycling, or taking the bus, I’d love to interview you! I’m particularly interested in interviewing seniors, parents with kids, students, and ethnic minorities who get by without an automobile. I would also like to do one interview with a professional in economics or geology to discuss the future of energy.

I’m free almost every afternoon, and my schedule is pretty flexible. Just email me when and where you’d like to be interviewed, and let your voice be heard! My email is: [email protected]

Fukushima’s Potential Fallout for North America

This is from the Norwegian Institute for Air Research for April 14 through 18. You can adjust the model to run for radioactive Iodine, Cessium, etc. Here. There is no “safe” dose of radiation, according to Dr. Helen Caldicott

The Minnesota Pint Law – HF 703

Fiteger BrewhouseToday the House Commerce committee endorsed HF 703 (aka The Minnesota Pint Law …or Surly bill, if you prefer), the bill allowing Minnesota breweries to sell pints of their own beer. There is still a ways to go before it becomes law, but the bill will continue through the legislative process. Surly Brewing says, “Thanks to the committee members for their support, and also to all of you for getting behind this bill and moving it forward.”

More Info Here: http://mnpintlaw.com/

Priorities in order for shutdown

From our U.S. Rep’s office:

Cravaack: A Shutdown Should Not Affect Our Troops

(Washington, DC) – Today, U.S. Congressman Chip Cravaack (MN-8) made the following statement after the House of Representatives passed a one-week continuing resolution that funds the Department of Defense for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2011 and the rest of the federal government until April 15:

“I supported this latest continuing resolution because it will fund the Department of Defense through the end of the fiscal year. That means our war fighters – especially those in conflict zones – will not see their pay interrupted. I cannot in good conscience allow that to happen.

“Having served for 24 years in the United States Navy, I know firsthand the sacrifices our service members and their families make to ensure we can live peacefully and in a free society. A government shutdown should never negatively affect them.”

The bill also makes a further $12 billion in cuts to discretionary spending, bringing the total for the last six weeks to $22 billion.

Psst! Corporations Are Not People!

This Friday, my dad (and uncle, I think) will accompany 2004 presidential candidate, David Cobb, on the Twin Ports leg of his national speaking tour for Move to Amend. Mr. Cobb will speak about the perils (i.e. 2010 WI governor’s race) of corporate personhood and what is happening, nationally, to abolish it. For those who don’t remember or weren’t aware, “The Monahan brothers” walked across the U.S. last May-October to raise awareness about this issue. So, come have a pint and/or some noms and get informed about an issue that is sure to foul up our lives for generations to come!

Bus ridership increase correlated with increasing gas prices?

My name is Laura Prosser. I’m a journalism student working on an article trying to correlate the rise in bus ridership and the increase in gas prices. However, there are obviously other factors to the rise in ridership.

I’m looking for people who have something to say on this topic. I would like to find people who have a car but choose to ride the bus and what their reasons are for doing so. If you are interested in being a source and setting up an interview or have any information in relation to this topic please contact me.

My email address is pross016 @ d.umn.edu. You can also just leave comments here as well. Thank you for your time and consideration.

I want more return on my investment.

State Finances: Federal Taxes Collected vs. Federal Funding by State

According to this, Minnesota ranks #50, meaning we get about $0.50 back in federal funding for every dollar in taxes we pay (using 2007-2009 figures).

This does not make me want to take former Senators Dayton and Coleman out for dinner in downtown Duluth.

It also brings this question to my mind:  how much influence do governors have over federal funding?  Are governors involved in the discussion of federal funding in any concrete way?

Do NOT follow this link or you will be banned from the site!